


a light in the darkness.

by vnikiforov



Series: corpse bride au [1]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Corpse Bride, Corpse Bride, M/M, content warning in the notes, i changed it up a bit, i was watching the movie and well now here we are, the warning is for obvious reasons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-06
Updated: 2017-01-06
Packaged: 2018-09-15 05:17:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9220298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vnikiforov/pseuds/vnikiforov
Summary: Yuuri Katsuki, son of a restauranteur with a failing business, is arranged to marry his life long friend, Yuuko. So, how does he end up married to the very dead, Victor Nikiforov?





	

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, I am so happy that so many people were excited for this AU. I hope I did it justice.... 
> 
> Before we you start, you should be aware of some CONTENT WARNINGS: mention of suicide, suicide, death, any tones that revolve around death and rotting flesh and really this is a corpse bride au so yeah, anxiety, mental illness (i feel like i should put this here for yuuri's anxiety and for victor in a way, too, though i don't want to misdiagnose, so interpretation) (if i miss anything, let me know and i'll add it) 
> 
> also if you want to check out Nic's dead Vitya, well...  
> [ _https://twitter.com/NICHOLASonICE/status/816646827680239616_ ](https://twitter.com/NICHOLASonICE/status/816646827680239616)enjoy!

Yuuri tried to take multiple breaths, but it was all for naught. So he was marrying his childhood friend. So he was doing it out of obligation and not desire. It didn’t matter. His parents’ business was failing and he’d do anything to help them. That included marrying Yuuko, who loved Yuuri unconditionally and also came from a noble family.

He knew that he shouldn’t be worrying. Yuuko wouldn’t judge him if he fumbled his vows or if he tripped on his way to the alter. She would never judge him, she told him as much, but that didn’t change the fact that Yuuri held a sense of dread close to his heart.

It was awful. He felt awful. Yuuri shouldn’t feel this way the day of his wedding, should he? Especially when Yuuko was doing him the favor of marrying him despite having nothing to gain from the matrimony.

His hands shook as he tried to go over his vows once more. Of course he hadn’t been able to get them right. Yuuri refrained, only barely, from cursing as he messed up once more.

Before he could try again there was a soft knock on the door and a creak as it opened. Yuuko poked her head in. “Yuuri?”

“Yuuko! You’re not supposed to be here!” Yuuri said and rushed over to the door before she could walk in. She only smiled.

“I came to see how you were doing. Are you okay?”

“I’m okay! Just getting ready!” Yuuri said and tried to put on his best smile. Yuuko pushed past him, which knocked him into the dresser and knocked down a vase. She paused and picked up the flower that remained amongst the ceramic shards.

“We’ve been friends since we were children, Yuuri.” She took his hand and placed the flower in his palm. “I can tell when you’re worried or scared or freaking out.”

He looked down and exhaled. “Are you sure about this?”

“Never been more sure.” She said softly, but he could hear a reluctance lacing her voice. “You’re my best friend. It’d be an honor to marry someone like you.”

But not me, Yuuri thought. “Thank you.”

She smiled and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “You will be okay.”

There was a cough and both their heads snapped to the door way. “Bad luck! Yuuko, please come back with me at once!”

She laughed and nodded. “Of course, Mrs. Katsuki.”

As the door shut, the feeling of dread settled deep in his stomach. Not even Yuuko’s words were able to sooth him, even if they usually did. He looked down at the flower in his hand and tried to remind himself that Yuuko was his friend. Despite everything, he had her.

It didn’t help.

“What am I doing?” He asked himself. Yuuri thought about it. He was helping his family. He was doing what he could to save his parents’ dream from financial ruin. He was saving his sister from having to marry someone that was wrong for her. All of this was more important than his nerves. He was lucky. At least he’d have his friend. At least it was Yuuko.

He smiled and put the flower in his pocket, the same pocket that housed Yuuko’s wedding ring that he’d later slip on her finger. He’d get through this. Yuuri would be happy.

Too soon, the time for the wedding rehearsal came. His heart beat fast as he tried to remember the vows. Yuuri’s palms felt clammy and his heart wouldn’t stop beating. He stood at the front, near the table and waited for Yuuko to walk through. His family were already in their seats, along with Yuuko’s. They smiled at him, but it did nothing to ease the fear that had gripped him so tightly.

The moment Yuuko walked in, Yuuri’s heart went into overdrive. Was he sure he could do this without embarrassing himself? He reached into his pocket and ran his fingers over the flower, a silent prayer that he could get through this in one piece. After all, it was only just the rehearsal. The actual wedding wouldn’t be until later that night.

She walked up to him and met him with a soft smile. It was funny, the thought that rushed into his head that moment. Yuuri had looked forward to his wedding day since he was a child. He dreamed about marrying the person of his dreams, them happy and living happily in love. He supposed he dreamed about being deeply in love, more than the marriage itself.

“Mr. Katsuki, are you paying attention? Your vows?” The pastor’s voice boomed, which caused Yuuri to jump slightly.

“Oh right.” He mumbled. Yuuko laughed softly. “W-with this hand, I will lift your sorrows….” His mind struggled to remember what came next. “Your cup will never empty, for I will be your wine?” Yuuko nodded and urged him to continue. “With this candle, I will light your way in darkness. With this ring, I ask you to be mine.”

It came out rushed and stumbly, but correct. Yuuri let out a huge sigh of relief. The pastor grunted. “Again.”

“Y-yes sir.” Yuuri said, his eyes wide. He picked up the lit candle and held it up to the unlit one on the table. “With this hand, I w-will lift your sorrows. Your c-cup will never empty, for I will be your wine. With this candle… this candle… this candle…”

“Should I go up there and do it for him?” Yuuri could hear his father joke. His hands started to shake and he almost dropped the candle.

“Continue!” The pastor urged.

Yuuri flinched and breathed out in surprise, with caused the candle’s flame to die. This is what he was afraid of.

“Mr. Katsuki, do you not wish to be married?” The pastor asked when Yuuri didn’t move to relight the candle.

“No! No!” He said and waved his hands.

“You don’t?” Yuuko asked.

Yuuri turned to her and shook his head. “No, I mean, I don’t not wish to get married! That is, I very much want to-

“Enough!” Yelled the pastor and Yuuri jumped back, this time he did drop the candle. “Did you even remember to bring the ring, boy?”

“O-of course!” He replied and put his hand into his pocket to pull it out. His fingers caught on the coat pocket and the ring tumbled out of his grip and onto the floor.

“This boy does not want to get married.” He heard the pastor say. From behind him, he could hear whispers.

“Yuuri…” His head snapped up to Yuuko. Her gaze was soft and he couldn’t take it. Yuuri bent down to grab the ring.

“I… I’ll be back!” And then he ran.

He kept running until he was out of the house, past the cobble stone bridge, and past the entrance of the woods. Yuuri didn’t know how long he’d been running or how he’d managed to go this far into the woods without tripping, but he had reached an empty space. He finally stopped and let himself crumple to the ground.

Yuuri knew that he had messed things up for Yuuko and that maybe leaving hadn’t been his best idea, but he couldn’t be there anymore. He let the disappointment wash over him.

“You have to go back.” He told himself. “You have to go back and marry Yuuko and try to live a happy life. It’s possible. You can do it.”

He pulled out the flower and the ring from his pocket. “With this hand, I will lift your sorrows.”

Yuuri took the ring in between his thumb and index finger. “Your cup will never empty, for I will be your wine.”

A renewed confidence flowed through him as he sat up straight. “With this candle, I will light your way in darkness.”

He grabbed a branch and slipped the ring on as he spoke, “With this ring, I ask you to be mine.”

Yuuri sighed in relief and smiled wide. He remembered. A cold chill ran around him and he shivered. Maybe he should get back before the weather changed.

Just as he was about to pull the ring off, the branch curled in on itself. Yuuri’s eyes widened as he quickly hopped to his feet. The air around him got colder, wind wisped violently through his hair.

Yuuri’s mind, for a split second, thought that he must have been dreaming because there was no way the ground was cracking around the branch. Was there? As the branch grew up, Yuuri gasped. It was no branch at all, but a human arm… or rather what was left of the decayed arm.

He stood there, frozen in shock. The decayed arm was followed by the body of a man wearing a dirty suit that at one point had obviously cost a small fortune. He looked young to Yuuri, despite the fact that he was very much dead and rotted in places. His hair was silver and thin, clumped together with mud and moss. A decayed crown of flowers laid at the top of his head.

The skeletal arm reached out to Yuuri and grabbed at his suit. He jumped back and much to his horror, the arm stayed attached to his coat. He pulled it off and let it fall to the floor before he turned to run.

He didn’t stop running, not even as his coat caught on tree branches or when his feet got sucked into the mud. The bridge was in his view. Just a few more seconds.

Yuuri reached the bridge and stopped to catch his breath. What was that? He looked back to stare at the woods, wondering if it was all a strange dream, when he came face to face with the man. He smiled softly, his teeth oddly intact. “I do.”

The world went black.

✧ ✧ ✧

“A new arrival… he must have fainted.” A feminine voice whispered.

A second voice responded with a scoff. “A breather. Couldn’t even bother to be dead all the way. Vitya, what were you thinking?”

“Isn’t he beautiful?” Sang a third voice.

“No, he’s alive and that’s why he’s not supposed to be here. Send him back.” The second voice hissed.

“Oh, Yuratchka, play nice.” The first voice admonished. “Vitya wouldn’t have brought a breather here without good reason. So, what is that reason?”

“We’re married!” Vitya yelled just as Yuuri opened his eyes. The man waved his bony hand and light caught on the ring. Yuuko’s ring.

“W-what?” Yuuri muttered at the same time the second voice yelled, “Married?!”

“Oh, Vitya! I’m so happy for you!” The first voice shrieked in delight. “And he’s so handsome, too! We need to toast!”

“We really don’t.” The one named Yuratchka muttered.

The first voice ignored him. Yuuri was still frozen in shock. “To the newlyweds!”

“Newlyweds?” Yuuri whispered. Vitya’s eyes snapped toward him and smiled brightly.

“I can’t believe it, either, solnyshko! In the woods, you said your vows so perfectly.”

“I did?” A sudden realization washed over him. “I did.”

“Move, move!” A girl, who looked intact but was an odd shade of blue, pushed Vitya and who Yuuri assumed was Yuratchka out of the way. “I want to introduce myself. My name is Mila. I’ll be planning your wedding dinner.”

Yuuri must have been dreaming.

“Go away, you old hag. There won’t be a dinner because Victor is going to be sending that ugly thing back to the surface.” The shorter of the three said. He looked about as angry as Yuuri was confused over the whole situation. “Right?”

“Yes, I’d like to go back.” Yuuri said.

“Don’t be silly… Oh, I don’t even know your name! Mine is Victor Nikiforov, but I’d be glad to take your last name.”

Yuuri raised a hand to rub his neck. “Yuuri.”

The shorter name glared. “How do you know my name?”

“No, my name is Yuuri… Yuuri Katsuki and I-I want some questions!”

Yuri rolled his eyes. “I think you mean answers, idiot.”

“Yes, answers. Thank you.” Yuuri said and ignored the fact that a dead, teenaged kid just insulted him. “I need answers. What’s going on here? Where am I? Who are you?”

“Well, that’s kind of a long story.” Victor smiled ruefully.

“And what a story it is.” Mila added. “A tragic story of romance, passion-

“And don’t forget the death.” Yuri said.

“And death.” Mila nodded. “Vitya… Vitya has always been a romantic. He dreamed of being married long before you put a ring on his finger. He almost had it, too.”

“Mila, Victor can tell his own story.” Yuri said.

Victor waved a hand and smiled sweetly. “No, please, go on. Mila makes everything sound like a fairytale.”

“He was set to marry a young lord. It was an arranged marriage, as most marriages are, but Vitya was lucky. He had time to get to know his future husband and slowly fall in love. And he did. Vitya fell deeply in love and he thought that his fiancé loved him back.” Mila looked at Vitya, but the man was still smiling.

“Christophe was nice. He was sweet and he always flirted with me. I thought he loved me, but he was like that to a lot of people.” Victor sighed. “He had relations with other people, too. I didn’t want to stop him…”

“But he didn’t want to marry someone who wouldn’t be in love with him.” Mila finished.

“He wanted a happily ever after, which is stupid because now he’s dead.” Yuri said. Mila smacked him upside the head.

“Quiet, Yuratchka. I’m telling the story.” She said. “Victor had resigned himself to marrying Christophe, if it meant that his family would be happy, but then he saw him with another man.”

“He was different. Happy and in love. I could tell. I knew what love was. I didn’t want to take that away from someone.” Victor said with a frown. “So I ran away, to the woods where you found me.”

“Don’t get too ahead of yourself, Vitya.” Mila squeezed his arm. “Victor runs away, partly because he’s heartbroken and partly because he wants Chris to be happy. He didn’t want anyone to be forced to marry him. He knew that the risk was there when they first got engaged, but if he could fall in love, why couldn’t Chris?”

Victor sighed wistfully. “Sometimes we have to wait for the right one.”

“Vitya-

“Oh right, go on, Mila.” Victor grinned sheepishly.

“Alright, well, the day of the wedding was set during winter. It was near Victor’s birthday and he loved the winter. When he ran out before the wedding, he ran to the woods, which was usually his place to be alone. He was young, unhappy and heartbroken.”

“I wasn’t thinking too clearly.” Victor added.

“And he decided that if he couldn’t be happy and in love with Chris, then he didn’t see a point in living. Victor forced himself to sit down on a fallen tree as he ignored the cold settling into his bones or the fatigue from his hunger.” Mila said and Yuuri had to admit that she did have a way of making the story sound like a grim fairytale. “It was too late by the time he realized he didn’t want to die. The storm had grown bigger and he was too weak. He got up and fell to the ground, his cries for help too soft and too far to be heard. He died there, alone and in his final thoughts, he vowed that he’d wait there for his true love to save him.”

“And he did.” Victor looked at Yuuri. He jumped back and his eyes widened slightly.

“Your boyfriend’s kind of jumpy.” Yuri grunts.

“He’s not my boyfriend.” Victor sighed happily. “He’s my husband.”

“I… there’s been a mistake.”

“Well that’s a great way to start a marriage.” Yuri sniped.

“Will you stop?” Mila shoved him away.

“I have to go.” Yuuri said and got up. “I have to go back home.”

Victor frowned. “This is your home.”

Yuuri shook his head as he tried to look around for an exit. When he found one, he muttered a soft apology and ran. He wasn’t sure what to expect when he left the small room, but a whole city of the dead was definitely not it. Vendors, pedestrians, homes….

He stared wide eyed for a second before he remembered that he was running away and that his-his husband would come out to look for him any moment now. Yuuri looked around once more and ran in a random direction. He took any turn he could find. If you had just married Yuuko then none of this would have happened, Yuuri cursed himself.

Of course, the thought that this whole thing might have still been a dream hadn’t left his mind either. He was fully aware that he could be hallucinating.

Still, he wasn’t about to take that chance. He heard Victor call out for him, along with Yuri. The latter wasn’t too kind about it.

Yuuri’s eyes widened as they came into view. Yuri glared. “There! Hey, idiot, come back!”

He took off in the opposite direction. Eventually, he hit a wall, there were no other ways he could go but up. Yuuri groaned, but climbed up. His muscles ached from exhaustion, but he could almost reach the top.

He could almost cry in relief as his hands touched the bars. He looked up and, “You could have just used the stairs, solnyshko.”

Victor pulled him up and let Yuuri catch his breath. He sighed and looked out at the view. “Isn’t it beautiful, Yuuri? It takes my breath away.” Victor laughed. “Well, it would if I had any.”

Yuuri groaned. Victor turned to him and led him over to a bench. “Sit.”

He obliged. Victor sat next to him. “Isn’t it romantic?”

“Look, I am so sorry about what happened to you, Victor and I wish I could help… but I’m not the person you were waiting for. I need to get back home.”

Victor looked at him. “This is your home.”

“But-

“Oh, I almost forgot! I have something for you.” He pulled out a box and handed it to Yuuri. “It’s a wedding present.”

“Thank you.” Yuuri took it and opened it. His eyes widened as he saw the pile of bones. He immediately shut the box. “What? No!”

The box shook a bit before it tipped out of his hands. The bones clattered to the floor, but before Yuuri could blink, they came together with a bark. The little, skeletal dog picked up the collar and ran to Yuuri. He took it and looked at the tag. “Vicchan?”

The dog barked again and nudged it’s head against Yuuri’s knees. “Vicchan!”

He put the collar on Vicchan and allowed him to hop on his lap. Yuuri giggled as the dog nuzzled into his neck. “Oh, Vicchan, I’ve missed you.”

“I knew you’d be happy to see him. He’s a cutie.”

“You should have seen him with hair.” Yuuri smiled. “My parents bought him for me as a birthday present as a kid. I had him for most of my teenaged years. He was always there for me. They loved him, too, which was good considering my mom hated dogs.”

“Do you think your parents would have liked me?”

Yuuri had an idea. “Well, actually, now that you’ve mentioned it… I think you should meet them. Since, we’re… you know, married and all. They should meet their new son-in-law.”

Victor’s smile brightened. “Wonderful! We’ll go right now! Where are they buried?”

Yuuri frowned. “Oh.”

“What? What is it?” Victor inched closer to him, the worry was clear on his face.

“They aren’t from around here.”

“Where are they?” Yuuri looked up and Victor understood. “Oh, they’re still alive.”

“I’m afraid so.”

“Well, that is a problem.” Victor muttered. Vicchan yapped. “What is it, boy?” He barked and turned his head to the side. “Oh, no, we couldn’t… could we? No… no…” Vicchan did a little hop and barked again. “Oh, right… well, when you put it like that.”

“What?” Yuuri asked.

“We’re going to see Yakov.”

Yuuri decided that he’d follow Victor through the town and up the creepy stairway that led to whoever this Yakov was. It wasn’t too much of a walk, but he found himself gasping for breath by the time they reached the top of the tower. Victor placed a hand on Yuuri’s arm and stopped him from walking further in. “Yakov?”

Vicchan ran past them and barked once he found the old man. Victor grabbed Yuuri’s hand and pulled him into the large room. Yakov turned out to be half of a man and was the same odd shade of blue as Mila and Yuri. He rolled across the room on a makeshift wheelchair and stopped before Victor. “There you are!”

“Here I am and there you are.” Yakov replied.

“And I’ve brought my husband, Yuuri.” Victor smiled.

“Husband?” The man asked as he looked at Yuuri.

“Pleasure to meet you, sir.”

Yakov grunted just as Victor stepped forward and released Yuuri’s hand. “We need to go up. Yuuri and I need to go to the land of the living?”

“Vitya, why would you want to do that? Why go up when everyone is dying to come down here?” Yakov laughed at his own joke.

Yuuri felt a rush of desperation flow through him. “Please, I beg you. It would mean a lot to me- us. It’d mean a lot to us.”

“Please, Yakov?” Victor begged. Yakov seemed to soften.

“.... let me see what I can do.” He muttered. After a bit of looking, Yakov pulled out a tome and flipped to the middle of the book. “Ah, yes… A Ukrainian haunting spell. Just the thing for these quick trips.”

Victor turned back to Yuuri with a big smile. “I’m so glad you thought of this.”

He smiled back, his stomach turned at the thought of his deception. “Me too.”

When Yakov was done, he cleared his throat and picked up a pearl like egg. “Here we go. Are you ready?”

Victor nodded and grabbed onto Yuuri’s hand. “We’re ready.”

“Just remember that when you want to come back, say hopscotch.”

“Hopscotch?” Yuuri muttered.

“Exactly.” And then in a swirl of pearl clouds, they were back in the spot where Yuuri married Victor.

Yuuri shook his head and tried to focus on a plan.

“I spent so long in the darkness… I had almost forgotten how beautiful the moonlight could be.” Victor whispered as he stared up at the sky, his silver hair illuminated by the light. Yuuri could see where, once, Victor was beautiful. It was in the way his eyes glistened or his smile almost formed the shape of a heart or how he found romance in anything, including his own death. In fact, Yuuri could still admit that Victor was beautiful. The only problem was, Victor was dead and Yuuri was very much still alive.

Yuuri shook his head again, this time to rid himself of those thoughts. He had to get back to Yuuko. “Victor.”

The man turned to him and hummed.

“I think I should prepare my parents for our big news alone. You should stay here.” Yuuri said. Victor’s eyes widened.

“I think I should go with you.” He said quickly and rushed to Yuuri’s side.

“Victor, it’s better-

“Please don’t leave me here.” Victor begged.

“I’ll be right back. I promise.” Yuuri said and took Victor’s hands in his own. “I promise.”

He felt bad for lying, but it seemed to calm Victor down. “I’ll wait for you. Please come back.”

Yuuri’s heart skipped a beat, but he willed himself to let Victor go. “I will.”

His new husband sat down on a fallen tree that looked like it had sat there for at least fifty years and frowned. Yuuri turned around and ignored the part of him that told him what he was doing was wrong. He had to get to Yuuko and his family. He had to. He belonged with them, not with a dead stranger in the underworld.

He walked down the path, past the cobblestone bridge and toward the place where Yuuko and her family were staying at. He thought better than to use the front door and opted to sneak up to her balcony. The moment she saw him, she rushed to open the glass doors.

“Yuuri! I’m so happy to see you! Where were you? Come in, you look like death!” She whispered and pulled him over to the warm fire.

“Yuuko, I’m so sorry.” He said in place of answering her questions.

“What happened? Your… Your coat and your hair… where have you been? It’s been weeks!” She said and Yuuri could see the tears as they formed in her eyes. His own eyes widened.

“Weeks?”

“Mother and father had to cancel the wedding, you were gone for so long. We thought you ran away, that you didn’t want to marry me and then… and then we thought you were dead.” She wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled. “But you’re alive and I’m so happy. Where-

“Yuuko, I have something to confess.” Yuuri cut her off with a frown. She looked at him to continue. “I didn’t want to get married. I thought… well, I thought you deserved more than to settle for me, but then I realized that we’re best friends and we do love each other. We could be happy together.”

“I’ve felt that way, Yuuri.” She smiled softly.

“I… It’s just that… I seem to find myself already married.” He frowned. “It was unexpected, I… I didn’t want to m-

“What is this?” Came the sharp voice behind him.

“Who is he?” Yuuko gripped Yuuri’s hand and pulled him away. “What’s going on?”

“I’m his husband.” Victor glared, which caused Yuuko’s grip on his hand to tighten.

“Yuuri?” She whispered.

“Yuuko, I can explain.”

“He’s dead.” She looked horrified.

“Hopscotch.”

With Victor’s arm wrapped around him and the return of the pearl cloud, Yuuri found himself pulled back down to the underworld.

“Yuuko!” Yuuri yelled in a last ditch effort to save himself.

“You lied!” His attention snapped back to Victor, who looked absolutely devastated. Tears fell from his eyes and Yuuri could see the anger that floated around him. He felt a stab in his chest, guilt. “You never wanted me to meet your parents, you were never going to come back for me! It was all just to get back to that other woman!”

“Victor, she isn’t the other woman… don’t you understand? You’re the other man.” Yuuri tried to explain.

“No, because you’re married to me! She’s the other woman and you were supposed to come back for me. You were supposed to be there!” Victor’s voice broke at the end. “I thought… I really thought this was going well… I thought, but no. I’m just being foolish again.”

Yuuri didn’t know what to say.

“Maybe it’s my own fault… maybe I deserved to be left there waiting again.” Victor cried, which caused his eye to pop out.

It was only then that Yuuri realized what he had done. He felt the guilt fall to the pit of his stomach like a fifty-pound rock. He bent down to pick up the fallen eye and wiped it clean on his suit. “Victor… I’m sorry.”

The other man didn’t say anything. Yuuri walked closer to him and offered him his eye.

“I’m sorry I lied and I’m a horrible person, but you know this can’t work between us.” He said softly.

“Why not?” Victor asked, his voice softer than Yuuri’s. He took the eye and popped it back into his socket. “It’s my eye, isn’t it?”

Yuuri chuckled and shook his head. “No. Your eye is lovely.”

Victor looked away, but didn’t reply.

“Listen, under different circumstances, who knows? We could have had something… but right now, we’re too different. I mean, you’re dead.” Yuuri said.

“You should have thought about that before you asked me to marry you.” Victor muttered.

“Don’t you understand, Victor? It was a mistake. I would never marry you.” As the words left Yuuri’s lips, he realized what he had said. Victor looked at him with hurt written across his face. He might have been about to say something, but his lips trembled and he thought better of it.

Yuuri watched as Victor walked out of the room, his heart torn between running after the man and apologizing or leaving things alone. Before he could make a decision, Victor was gone and Yuuri was left with Yakov’s disappointed glare and Vicchan’s whining.

He closed his eyes. “What have I done?”

✧ ✧ ✧

Vicchan had run off and Yuuri had no choice but to run after him. He had been wondering the streets for what seemed like hours, but he couldn’t find the little dog anywhere.

Luckily, Vicchan found him. He had a bouquet of dead blue flowers that matched the ones in Victor’s hair in his mouth and dropped them in front of Yuuri. “What’s this?”

He picked them up and walked into the small building. Inside, he noticed Victor was dancing along to music that may have been playing itself on the piano. Yuuri walked up behind him and cleared his throat.

Victor turned around. “Yuuri.”

“I think you dropped these.” He said in a small voice and held out the flowers. Victor took them. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry I lied to you about wanting to see my parents. It’s just this whole day hasn’t gone quite… according to plan.”

Victor looked at him. Yuuri offered him his hand. “We can dance? I-If you want.”

After a few seconds, Victor set the flowers down on the piano stool and took Yuuri’s hand. They performed a simple waltz, a traditional wedding dance. They lost themselves in the music. Victor laughed as Yuuri spun him around and dipped him low. He nuzzled his face into Yuuri’s neck as they twirled, the smile never left Victor’s face.

When they finally pulled away, Victor’s bony hand clung to the lapel of Yuuri’s jacket. He pulled it off, took Victor’s arm and connected the two together. The other man laughed, “Pardon my enthusiasm.”

Yuuri smiled in return. “I like your enthusiasm.”

“I-

An alarm cut them off. Yuuri jumped back in shock. “What?”

“New arrival!” Mila burst through the door. “Welcoming committee coming through! Where’s Georgi?”

“I’m here!” A strange man with a hole through his chest came and stood next to Mila. He held a pitcher of some strange liquid.

As the new arrival made his way through the crowd, Yuuri’s eyes widened. “Celestino? Oh god, Celestino, I am so sorry.”

“Ah, actually, I’m fine! I feel great. Better than ever.” He smiled. Georgi shoved the pitcher into his hands and yelled for him to drink. “Even better now.”

“Celestino, I have to get back.” Yuuri said quickly. “They all must be worried sick. How is everyone?”

“Well, they are still wondering where you went. Some say you ran away to elope with some boy, others say you’re dead. Well, I guess I know the answer now. It’s been so long. Weeks.” Celestino waved his hand. Weeks? He’s only been here for a day. “And Miss. Yuuko-

“Yuuko! How is she?”

“Well, she’s getting married this afternoon. Rather, I guess that would be sooner than that now.”

Yuuri’s eyes widened. “To who?”

“Some new comer. A Lord Takeshi? He’s really comforted her while you’ve been gone. She looks happy. Your parents are devastated, of course, but they feel like it’s what you’d want.” He said and took a swig of his drink.

“Oh.” Yuuri deflated. Yuuko was going to get married to someone who made her happy. He wondered if she loved him. He didn’t want to think about it. They had all… he had been gone for so long, they had all been forced to move on. And his parents! Heartbroken… He had to leave this place.

Yuuri walked past the crowd and out the front door. He passed by Victor, who looked up at him and frowned. “Yuuri! Where are you going?”

He didn’t stop. Yuuri kept walking until his legs got tired and he was forced to sit. His chest hurt and the tears now flowed freely down his face. He pulled the flower out of his pocket and sighed. People were moving on. He might as well have actually been dead.

Yuuri dropped it on the floor. “I should just give up.”

From behind him, he could hear voices. Yuuri got up and peeked through a break in the fence. “Vitya… we need to talk.”

“Yakov, Yura.” Victor smiled.

“Please let me tell him.” Yuri said.

“Tell me what?”

Yakov sighed. “I’m afraid there’s been a complication with your marriage.”

“You ruin all the fun.” Yuri muttered and rolled his eyes.

“I don’t understand.”

“Your vows are only binding until death do you part.” The man tried to explain.

“What are you trying to say?” Victor frowned.

“You’re already dead, idiot.” Yuri said.

Victor’s eyes grew wide and despite Yuri’s attitude, his face softened into a form of sympathy. “If he finds out, he’ll leave me… There must be something you can do.”

“Well, there is one thing, but I don’t recommend it. It requires great sacrifice, Vitya.”

“This is the good part. Please, let me tell him.” Yuri begged. Yakov glared at the young boy.

“What is it?”

“We have to kill him!” Yuri said. A deep chill ran down Yuuri’s spine. No.

“What?” Victor asked.

“It’s the only way, Vitya. Yuuri would have to give up the life he had forever. He would have to repeat his vows in the land of the living and drink from the wine of ages.”

Victor gasped. “Poison.”

Yuri rolled the old man over to Victor. “It would stop his heart forever. Only then would he be free to give it to you.”

Tears slipped from Victor’s eyes. “I could never ask that of him.”

Yuuri looked down and realized then the choice he’d have to make. The choice he had already made. “You don’t have to.”

Victor looked up at him, Yuuri’s name fell from his lips in a whisper.

“I’ll do it.”

“Boy, if you choose this path you may never return to the world above.” Yakov said, his voice as soft as Yuuri had ever heard it before. “Do you understand?”

He looked at Victor, wondered if he was making the right decision by doing this and took his hand. “I do.”

Victor smiled, but the pain was still obvious in his eyes. “You don’t have to do this. I know you would never want to marry me.”

The guilt swam in his stomach. “I shouldn’t have said that. I didn’t mean that… I just meant that the situation was different. I didn’t know you. I was supposed to marry someone else. You are dead. I am alive… but…

“We can change that.”

Victor turned to Yuri and Yakov. “Tell everyone. We’re going upstairs to have a wedding.”

✧ ✧ ✧

The trip up to the old church was long, too long. It gave Yuuri too much time to think about what he was doing. He was going to die… to be with Victor. He was surprised to find that he wasn’t nearly as scared as he thought he’d be.

Victor was something new to Yuuri. He was nice and genuine in all of his emotions. If he was happy, it showed. If he was sad, he wouldn’t hide it. If he was angry, he’d yell and tell you why. It was refreshing in a way.

Then there was the fact that Victor wanted Yuuri to be his husband. At first, it might have been the idea of being married, but he saw the way Victor looked at him. He knew that the man had developed an actual emotional connection toward Yuuri.

And Yuuri wasn’t sure he could say he hadn’t developed one, too. He didn’t want to leave Victor, at least not now that he knew Yuuko had happily moved on. Victor… well, Victor was the only one that Yuuri saw any sort of happiness with.

He wasn’t sure if he loved the man. It was too soon to tell, but the possibility was there. It was in the way Yuuri’s cheeks warmed when Victor smiled or the surge of something he got when Victor stared up at the moon, surrounded by the soft, silvery light.

“Yuuri?” Victor asked and put his hand against his warm cheek. “Are you okay?”

Yuuri’s eyes snapped up at Victor’s and smiled softly. “Yeah, let’s go do this.”

After all the dead were seated in the pews, Victor and Yuuri walked toward the front and stood in front of the table that held the goblet and poison. Yuuri eyed the bottle before he turned back to Victor. “Are you-

“I’m positive.” Yuuri whispered.

Yakov cleared his throat and the couple turned to face him. “Dearly beloved and departed, we are gathered here today to join this man and this corpse in marriage. Living first.”

Yuuri turned to Victor and raised his hand. “With this hand, I will lift your sorrows.” He grabbed the goblet off the table. “Your cup will never empty, for I will be your wine.”

“Victor, your turn.”

He lifted his hand. “With this hand, I will lift your sorrows.” Victor picked up the bottle and poured the liquid into Yuuri’s goblet. “Your cup will never empty, for I will be-” Victor gasped. Yuuri looked at him with worried eyes. “I will be…”

“Vitya, go on.” Yakov prompted.

Victor looked at him panicked, then back at Yuuri. “Your cup… will never empty…” He looked away, right behind Yuuri. “For I…”

Yuuri understood the panic. He looked Victor directly in the eyes as he spoke, “I will be your wine.”

He lifted the goblet to his lips, but before he could drink, Victor’s hand was on the rim, softly pushing it down. “I can’t.”

Yuuri could vaguely hear Mila and Yuri mutter about second thoughts. He focused on Victor. “What’s wrong?”

“This is wrong… I wanted marriage, but I gave those dreams away. I… I wanted a happy life, so how can I ask you to give yours away? I love you, Yuuri.” Victor closed his eyes, a lone tear slipped down his cheek. “But you aren’t mine.”

He placed a hand on Yuuri’s shoulder and turned him slightly. Behind him, Yuuko, his parents and his sister stood, a mix of shock and pain written on their faces. “Mom?”

They all walked over to him, he practically crumpled into his mother’s hug. She squeezed him tight. “I never thought I’d see you again.”

He cried. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay. We have you back now.” Mari, his sister, said.

Yuuri pulled away and looked at Yuuko. “I’m sorry.”

She smiled softly. “I know. I had time to think about it, but Yuuri… I just want you to be happy. We want you to be happy… no matter what.”

“Are you?” He asked.

“Takeshi and I are happy together. We’re going to have children!” She whispered the last part with a smile. He smiled back.

“I’m glad.”

“Now we should go.” His father said.

“Wait.” Yuuri said and turned around. Victor had already started to walk away. He followed him. “I made a promise.”

Victor turned to him and smiled softly. “You’ve kept your promise. You set me free. Now I can do the same for you.”

He placed a kiss on Yuuri’s cheek and turned to walk away. Yuuri touched the spot where Victor’s lips had been. He turned around, looked at his family and silently apologized for what he was about to do. He hoped they’d understand and maybe one day in the distant future, he’d be able to explain why he had to.

Yuuri walked up to the altar and took the goblet. “Your cup will never empty, for I will be your wine.”

The drink didn’t cause him pain. Victor turned around and ran to him. “Yuuri, no!”

He gave him a sheepish smile. “Don’t you understand, Victor? I was set free the moment I met you.”

Victor laughed and it was a sharp contrast to the tears that slid down his cheeks. “Yuuri.”

Yuuri placed his hands on either side of Victor’s face and wiped his tears. “It took me a bit to realize it.”

Victor leaned into Yuuri’s touch. “Your family…”

He turned to look at them and the familiar guilt surrounded them. They were crying, but they’d eventually understand that Yuuri had to do this. He had to be with Victor in order to find his happiness. He had to be set free. “Will eventually understand.”

“Are you two going to finish the ceremony or not?” Yuri yelled. Mila shoved him and hissed at him to stop ruining the moment. Yuuri laughed.

“We should.”

They parted and stared at Yakov. He nodded and lit the main candle.

Yuuri and Victor picked up their unlit candles. “Yuuri, you first.”

“With this candle, I will light your way in darkness.” He said and lit his candle. Victor repeated the words and action.

Victor pulled out a ring from his pocket and held it between his thumb and index finger. “With this ring, I ask you to be mine.”

He slipped the ring on Yuuri’s finger. Yuuri smiled up at his new, or rather, old husband. “I do.”

“You may now kiss.” Yakov grunted.

Victor blew out his candle and pulled Yuuri in. Their lips met in a sweet and simple kiss that made butterflies flutter in Yuuri’s stomach. A warm glow surrounded them.

“Finally!” Yuri yelled and Victor laughed against Yuuri’s lips.

Yuuri kissed Victor again, but it was short. “Let’s go home.”

**Author's Note:**

> I really, hope I did it justice. If you want to yell at me for any reason, you can do so in the comments or on twitter @yuriodavai.... yeah any comments/kudos are appreciated. Actually, everything is appreciated. Thank you!


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